Last weekend we drove nearly 1000 miles to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to compete in a wonderful charity Flyball tournament in Escanaba, MI. It was a UFLI tournament and Casper got a Singles spot so he could officially go for the Kooikerhondje speed record, which was the only North American breed Flyball record he … Continue reading Casper has every breed Flyball record!

One of the "barriers to entry" for potential enthusiasts of Kooikerhondjes is that we as Americans aren't quite used to a structure where all of the information is "held" by a foreign organization. Most Americans also are unfamiliar with how to transfer money within the European system of bank accounts. It can be intimidating and … Continue reading Accessing Kooiker data in the Register/Zooeasy and joining the VHNK – AKA how to send Euros!

I just read a surprisingly good article by AKC called "Sign Right Here: Everything You Need to Know About Breeder Contracts" and wanted to share. Contracts are an area of study I find personally fascinating, and I have drafted quite a few (and am currently waiting on lawyer review of one!). It's hard or impossible … Continue reading Contracts

I found this post from nearly three years ago lurking in my "drafts" folder. I am publishing it in the stream-of-consciousness form as it was written at the time, and will add updates below. I wanted to write this down, primarily for future myself... because nobody talks about it! But we have recently undertaken the … Continue reading Semen Collection & Freezing Journey

A few days ago I reposted the Institute of Canine Biology’s article “What Population Genetics Can Tell Us About A Breed," but substituted in the Kooikerhondje numbers. It has spawned a surprising amount of discussion by those who were unaware of the state of the breed population. Since this is important information, I will reshare … Continue reading Yes, Kooikers are inbred: population genetics

Recently, someone new to the breed argued with me when I said I appreciated my dogs because unlike many Kooikers, they weren’t nasty. Perhaps “nasty” was the wrong word but the statement was more about my appreciation of my own dogs’ temperament than anything else, but it triggered some positive discussion. To my slight horror, … Continue reading Thoughts on Kooikerhondje Temperament

One month ago, the Kooikerboys and I deserted the grey doldrums of Seattle and drove across the country to our new house in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We were greeted upon our arrival with a great visit with our co-owned boy Huxley! We are hoping to see him more often as well as be more centrally located … Continue reading Moved to Tennessee!

We've been busy over the last few months! We've got not so much competing to report, but we have been working and training nonetheless. In late September Casper and I went to an event called "Gals and Gundogs" and spent a weekend training in the dry lands of Eastern Washington with a bird dog trainer … Continue reading Fall & Winter – hunting, conformation, Flyball, and – girls!